Very Rare Thomas Webb Peach Bloom Vases
Decorative Glass
7 ins. tall
These are two Peach Bloom vases by Thomas Webb. I do not call them Peach Blow because I believe them to be original Thomas Webb productions of the early days and are very rare museum pieces, they have a beautiful graduation from the top very red color to a very delicate salmon which at the bottom in bright light almost appears white. The inside is lined with a thin layer of white glass also the decoration has only been applied to one side with the beginning butterfly mark of the Webb Co.
Decorated on one side with a gold application of leaves a vine on a long stem with bunches of black berries, and the beginning of Butterfly Wings, again a delicate design being on one side of the vase only, an excellent decision design wise. The signature on the base of both vases is exactly the same, a figure 2 with a point, as such making them a purpose built pair.
The story of these vases I bought from an antique dealer in Tunbridge Wells, England, in the late 50’s not as a collector at that time but to furnish a very old house my wife and I had just bought. I have searched over 40 years in England, Italy and Canada and I have never found the like. He was an old man and did not really want to part with them as they came to him through his family, he had owned them for many years, but he liked my wife and sold them to her, I just paid for them.
Now I am old not liking to part with them but faced with the situation my children are not into antiques so I must sell them, they will make a terrific investment for some one. The smaller one just 5” tall has also been decorated on side only and I believe it is an early experimental vase the gold applied decoration has a dragonfly within it a possible preparation for the pair of larger vases above which have the beginnings of the butterfly mark of the Webb Co.
The smaller vase was a pair but one got broken during unpacking in Canada. This also has a very red top which lightens gently down the same as the larger ones but not to the same extent. It has a decoration of applied gold leaves on a stem with a Dragonfly fluttering beside them, the figure 81 or 18 on base could be a date or model number. These are the first attempts of the Webb factory to achieve this Shading effect, and would have taken place in the mid 1800’s. The photograph is not very good, but better than nothing.
If you are interested and would like to buy these call Alex Wood - al-wood@ rogers.com or 905-434-8259 Canada
Above is the signature on the small vase.
“Thomas Webb and Sons (England) produced a peach blow (originally Peach Bloom) which was deep red at the top, shading to salmon-yellow at the bottom, with a white lining.” This quote I reproduced from the following website.
http://www.glass-time.com/Encyclopedia/peachblowglass.html
e-mail – al-wood@rogers.com
